To check whether you meet the main eligibility criteria, please use the Australian Government’s Help to Buy Eligibility Tool.

The simplest way to begin the process is to:

• Submit a contact request via our Enquiry Form;
• Call us on 1300 969 422;
• Email us at Help to Buy; or
• Visit your local branch.

One of our Lending Specialists will be able to guide you through the process. They will assess your eligibility for a home loan and whether Help to Buy is an option for you.

Applications cannot be submitted directly to Housing Australia. You must be approved for a home loan from us before you can submit your application to Housing Australia for a place in the Help to Buy Scheme. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to facilitate Help to Buy home loan applications via our Online Application Form at this current time. All Help to Buy enquiries should be submitted using the contact options listed above.

A maximum of two applicants are allowed under the Help to Buy scheme. 

If you are applying as a single, single parent or single legal guardian and your personal circumstances change, please contact us at the earliest opportunity to discuss any impact on your participation in the Help to Buy Scheme.

At time of application, all applicants must be Australian citizens.

If you are applying for citizenship, you won't be able to apply for Help to Buy until you have been issued your citizenship certificate.

Participants must remain Australian citizens for as long as they remain in the Scheme.

No. Participating in the Scheme does not increase or adjust the interest rate of your home loan product. Your rate is based on the home loan that you choose with Queensland Country. Interest rates are subject to change.

When you buy a home through Help to Buy, you will own the property whilst the Australian Government will have a percentage interest in its value, called an equity share.

You will not need to pay interest on the Commonwealth contribution. Instead, the Government's equity will share proportionally in any increase or decrease in the property's market value. This means the dollar value of the Government's portion will change depending on the property's value. 

If the property is sold, the Government will be entitled to its percentage share of the property value as valued at the time of sale. 

Yes. All applications must include each applicant's most recent Notice of Assessment issued by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) as evidence of taxable income. This is required to assess your eligibility against the Scheme's income thresholds.

If you do not have a current Notice of Assessment; you will need to lodge a tax return with the ATO. For more information on how to lodge, visit the ATO website or speak with a registered tax agent.

Please refer to our Loans FAQ page for details about acceptable income sources.

Under Help to Buy, your annual taxable income as shown on your previous financial year's Notice of Assessment must not exceed the income thresholds.

The income cap for individual applicants is $103,000 and for joint applicants or single parents (and single legal guardians) it is $165,000. If your taxable income exceeds the relevant income cap that applies to you, you are not eligible for Help to Buy.

Housing Australia, nor Queensland Country, do not have the authority to review or override the income eligibility requirements under Help to Buy, regardless of how the income was derived. This also includes increases in taxable income through one-off events such as bonuses, redundancy payments, payments from superannuation or other non-recurring amounts.

Under the Scheme requirements, you must move into the property as soon as settlement occurs for an established home. If you are unable to do so due to exceptional circumstances, you must apply for an exemption with Queensland Country or Housing Australia prior to final approval of your application.  

If you purchase a new home that is being built, you must take residence in your new home within 3 months of the construction being completed.

Under the Help to Buy Scheme, a person is defined as a single parent if they are a single person that does not have a spouse or de facto partner, and is a natural parent, adoptive parent, or legal guardian of at least one dependent.

If you’re separated and no longer co-habiting with your ex-partner but not yet legally divorced, please contact us so that we can discuss your circumstances.

A dependent child is defined in the Social Security Act 1991 (Cth) and generally includes any of the following.

• a person under 16 years of age for whom you are wholly or substantially responsible for their care
• a person between 16 to less than 22 years of age that:
  • is wholly or substantially dependent on you; and
  • is in full-time education at school or university and/or
  • does not earn an income greater that the young person's income cap; and
  • is not receiving social security benefits such as Youth Allowance.
• an individual to whom you are their natural or adoptive parent or guardian, who is living with you and in receipt of a Disability Support Pension.

Off-the-plan properties with extended construction timeframes, or unregistered vacant land where title registration is not expected within approximately three to six months, will generally not meet the Scheme's settlement timeframe requirements.

Applicants must first receive conditional approval from Queensland Country, which is valid for up to 90 days.

Once all requirements are met, including an unconditional home loan approval from Queensland Country, a final Help to Buy approval can be issued. From the date of final approval, you must settle on the property within 90 days.

Queensland Country require that vacant land is titled, or that an off-the-plan property is completed and certified for occupation, before we can provide unconditional approval and submit your final Help to Buy application.

If you are considering purchasing unregistered land or an off-the-plan property, it's important to speak with us as early as possible, before signing a contract of sale, to confirm that timing requirements can be met.

No. To purchase a property under Help to Buy, you must first be approved for a home loan from a participating lender, like Queensland Country. Eligibility requires contributing your maximum reasonable deposit and obtaining finance approval, before Housing Australia can approve your Help to Buy application and determine the Government's contribution toward your property purchase.

We will conduct a financial capacity assessment to ensure Help to Buy is the right fit for you. If you can purchase a property using your savings and borrowing capacity, you will not be eligible for Help to Buy.

Under Help to Buy, you are required to have a minimum deposit of 2% - plus associated purchase costs - and to contribute as much as you can reasonably afford toward the purchase of your home. Applicants are encouraged to retain an amount of savings to cover unexpected expenses, emergencies, or future property-related costs including for repairs or necessary home improvements.

If you are building a new home, we strongly encourage that you retain some savings as a buffer for any cost overruns that may occur during the build.

We will work with you to understand your personal circumstances and help determine the appropriate contribution toward your purchase.

A 'new home', eligible for an up to 40% Government contribution, is a property that meets any of the following criteria:

• property purchased 'off the plan', where construction has started and the settlement date is expected to be within 90 days;
• a detached home that is yet to be built, whether through a house-and-land package or a separate land purchase and building contract; or
• a newly constructed home that has never been lived in, rented out, or previously sold.

Once you've moved into your home under Help to Buy, you must continue meeting certain responsibilities to remain eligible. These include living in the property as your principal place of residence, maintaining it in good condition, keeping full replacement building insurance and covering regular costs like rates and utilities. 

You must not rent out the property in part or full, use it for business, or treat another property as your main residence (unless you meet specific exceptions and have received written approval from Housing Australia).

Any major changes such as renovations, refinancing, or selling, require notifying Housing Australia in advance. This enables Housing Australia to ensure that your ongoing eligibility requirements are met, that any major changes are formally acknowledged and to appropriately value the property. 

Periodic reviews will be undertaken to ensure you continue to meet the Scheme's eligibility requirements and, where your circumstances have changed, determine whether you can reasonably afford to buy back part or all of the Commonwealth's share in your home.

If you don't satisfy the ongoing participation requirements of Help to Buy, Housing Australia may initiate a review. This review could require you to repay part or all of the Government's equity share.

If your income exceeds the income thresholds, then we will work with you to look at your financial position to determine how much you could reasonably afford to repay. If your income exceeds the income thresholds, you will not be required to repay the Government's contribution until you can afford to do so.

Other eligibility requirements, such as living in the property as your principal residence or maintaining insurance, may also affect your eligibility and could lead to further action. Housing Australia, along with Queensland Country, may work with you to assess your financial position and determine next steps if repayment or other actions are required.

Housing Australia conducts regular reviews, at least every five years, to ensure participants continue to meet the Scheme's eligibility requirements. If your income exceeds the Scheme's threshold for two consecutive financial years, you may be required to repay part or all of the Government's equity contribution. 

Queensland Country will work with you to look at your financial position to determine how much you could reasonably afford to repay. You will not be required to repay the Government's contribution until you can afford to do so. 

These reviews also check that your property remains your principal place of residence and is properly maintained and insured, helping ensure the Scheme participants continue to meet the eligibility requirements.

While you are a participant and the Australian Government holds an equity interest in your home under Help to Buy, the property must remain your principal place of residence (i.e. the primary home where you live).

You must not rent out the property in part or full, use it for business purposes, or treat another property as your main residence while participating in Help to Buy, unless you meet specific exceptions and have received written approval from Housing Australia.

During the application process, it's best to stay in touch with us for updates.

Once you're pre-approved and have secured a place in the Help to Buy Scheme, Housing Australia will issue a conditional approval letter. A final approval letter will be issued when Queensland Country has provided details of your property purchase and final application information.

Housing Australia’s conveyancer will contact you directly to sign the Help to Buy Participation Agreement and mortgage documents.

For any questions about your home loan or lending documents, please contact us by calling 1300 969 422, email at Help to Buy or visit your local branch to speak to one of our Lending Specialists.

Under Help to Buy, home buyers can use Help to Buy in conjunction with stamp duty concessions, grants and other exemptions at a local, state or federal government level. You can also use the First Home Super Saver Scheme to help you save a deposit before purchasing a home under Help to Buy.

However, home buyers under Help to Buy cannot participate in, or receive assistance from, other government programs such as other shared equity schemes, loans or guarantees provided by local, state or federal government for the purchase.

If you have specific questions about whether you would be eligible, we'd encourage you to contact us at the earliest opportunity, so that we can support you.